Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1887-04-14
RESsANE's VICTIMS.
Another Heard from in Tex as
Valuable Gravel and SnxYdmkI.

Another Heard from tn Tex AS
Valuable Gravel and SawdnsI.
GALIATrN, Tenn, April S.-There ia
man here whose father knew Billy Kis.
sane to the tune of $4,000. Captain
Samuel Lyon, the present owner and
proprietor of the Gallatin Touring and
saw-mills, stated that his father, Hamil-
ton Lyon, of the firm of Lyon q Bell,
Cincinnati, lost large consignment of
machinery, valued at $4,000, on the ILL
fated Martha Washington, which every
body believed Kissane burned at Helena,
on the Mississippi river near the mouth
of White river.
On the same vessel Kissane had large
cargo of boxes marked ''valuable mer-
ohandise," which had been heavily in
sured previously. When the remains Of
the burned vessel was raised some of
these boxes that had not been de-
stroyed by the fire were discovered and
opened. In them were nothing but rub
bish, such as gravel stones and sawdust
Hamilton Lyon is still living in johnson
county, Ky.
THE KIssANE CASE BRINGS OLD sKRLEToNs TO
LIGHT.
Chicago, April 9.-The NelDs this morn
ing says the effort to identify W. II. Rogers,
now rich citizen OF Sonoma, California, as
William Kissane, who is charged with
others with having burned the steamer
Martha Washington, In 1852 for the insur-
ance, In which u number OF lives were lost,
and with series of other equally mon
strous crimes, opens up what proves to be
q very old and painful sore. Amasa Chnpin,
for 28 years resident of Chicago and for
the last 10 years connected with Selz,
Schwab Il Co., is brother OF the wife OF
Captain Cummings, who cut considerable
OF figure In the life of Sidney q. Burton.
according to Burton's account, and that of
his daughter Mrs. Bowman, who Is now
striving to locate Klssane.
"The trial OF the alleged eonspirators was
not at Helena, Ark" said Mr.. Chaplin to
reporter last evening, as stated by the
papers to-day. l was one OF the persons
who was arrested for the burning Of the
Martha Washington. Our lawyers at that
time were so we'll satisfied that there had
been no conspiracy that they were disposed
not to attempt to makea case. We were all
tried and honorably acquitted. Burton
did not produce a scintllla of
evidence against us. He was work.
ing In the interest of the Insurance
companies and after he had begun the
prosecution he tried desperately hard to
convict us. l simply regarded him as
monomaniae. After the trial-about year
II j
and when he died he was under The sur
veillance of the authorities. As to Captain
Oummings, / did not know him until 1850
and after he had been married to my sister
some two years. That statement about her
going down on the Rio qrande and putting
pistol to Cummings head and compelling
him to marry her is untrue, Cummings was
a sutler In the Mexican war, and he and my
sister were married in New Orleans, think,
In 1s4S. Mrs. Cummings has been dead IA
or is years. She lived here In Chicago six
or seven years, aud had quite circle OF
acquaintances here who knew that she was
not the woman to walk the floor In a rage,
as Burton has described, and intimidate
stranger with flashing eyes by saying she
could hit a quarter across the room with
pistol.
81 regret the reopening OF the old sore,"
continued Mr.. Chaplin. "We were all OF us
honorably acquitted OF the crime charged
81 years ago. | lived In Cincinnati eight
years after the trial and was a respected
citizen. Here are my children grown up,
who knew nothing OF this, and it is pretty
hard on an old man like me to have the
matter brought before them now.
With ourselves honorably acquitted
and our prosecutor, Burton, dying under
indictment for perjury, do not see why
the press wants to take up the story Of Bur-
toms daughter, Mrs. Bowman, and spread
1t over the country. should judge from
the description that this man Rogers is
KIssane. have not known where Kissane
was since left Cincinnati In 1858"
Amasa Chaplin is Sc years old, wears full
white beard and has the bearing and ap-
pearance OF well-preserved business man.